John F Kennedy Political Ideology

[futurepres]

Which is most like JFK?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Center-Left. More Liberal then Moderate.

[Paul Kemp]

I'd say he's actually fairly close to Obama, whatever that may be. Liberal in ideology but center right in practice.

Economically moderate, hawkish, while walking a fine line on social issues (JFK resisted civil rights as long as he could; Obama hesitant on many gay rights issues besides DADT obviously).

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Center-left (to the left of Obama).

Here's his acceptance speech for the Liberal party nomination.
http://www.liberalparty.org/JFKLPAcceptance.html

[Paul Kemp]

Here's his acceptance speech for the Liberal party nomination.
http://www.liberalparty.org/JFKLPAcceptance.html

Good speech but not exactly what he practiced.

[Username MechaRFK]

Center-left, though he is loved by many right-wingers due to his anti-communist and tax cutting polices.

[I Am Feeblepizza.]

I'd say he was a moderate. In 1960, two of the major things that got him elected were the fabled "missile gap" and his anticommunist rhetoric. Once in office, he did a conservative thing and cut taxes, but also did a liberal (maybe libertarian?) thing and scaled back the Bay of Pigs invasion to the point where it turned into a failure.

[minionofmidas]

Old sense liberal. (No, not the same thing as "current European sense" either, which would be a worse fit.) So, basically, wishy-washy-center-left except where it mattered. And not a lot of intellectual depth behind.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

Center-right because of the tax-cut policies. Remember Nixon was more left leaning than JFK.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Nixon did a complete 180 past 1960. Nixon lost 1960 because he didn't have Ike's full support, was cocky, didn't take advice, and focused on going to all 50 states, when he could of visited the key ones and won. He also was focused on some stupid islands near China, that were basically rocks, and controlled by Taiwan, while viewing Cuba with isolation. He was the biggest Civil Rights supporter of either party, yet couldn't get MLK's endorsement. Fast forward to 1968, he is seemingly a center right, Republican copy of circa 1960s Kennedy. And Nixon was a fairly center left President, so I think Kennedy has to be center left as well.

[Paul Kemp]

Nixon did a complete 180 past 1960. Nixon lost 1960 because he didn't have Ike's full support, was cocky, didn't take advice, and focused on going to all 50 states, when he could of visited the key ones and won. He also was focused on some stupid islands near China, that were basically rocks, and controlled by Taiwan, while viewing Cuba with isolation. He was the biggest Civil Rights supporter of either party, yet couldn't get MLK's endorsement. Fast forward to 1968, he is seemingly a center right, Republican copy of circa 1960s Kennedy. And Nixon was a fairly center left President, so I think Kennedy has to be center left as well.

I don't really understand where you get this idea that Nixon=Kennedy.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Nixon did a complete 180 past 1960. Nixon lost 1960 because he didn't have Ike's full support, was cocky, didn't take advice, and focused on going to all 50 states, when he could of visited the key ones and won. He also was focused on some stupid islands near China, that were basically rocks, and controlled by Taiwan, while viewing Cuba with isolation. He was the biggest Civil Rights supporter of either party, yet couldn't get MLK's endorsement. Fast forward to 1968, he is seemingly a center right, Republican copy of circa 1960s Kennedy. And Nixon was a fairly center left President, so I think Kennedy has to be center left as well.

I don't really understand where you get this idea that Nixon=Kennedy.

Well, it is a Stephen Ambrose history Im reading, so I could be wrong...

[Guderian]

Very flexible. This is usually true for the noblesse oblige types that get involved in politics (hence, Willard Mitt Romney). His program was mostly about unleashing personal awesomeness of Jack Kennedy on the world and making it a better place just by doing so.

[Username MechaRFK]

Center-right because of the tax-cut policies. Remember Nixon was more left leaning than JFK.

Just because he cut taxes doesn't mean Kennedy was center-right. Obama has done the same but I'm sure you would call him a left-wing extremist.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Does it really matter? Kennedy was a do nothing President, morally bankrupt, who is only loved for being killed. Had he lived, and Nixon won the 1962 gubernatorial election, I could see Nixon making a comeback in '64.

[Paul Kemp]

Kennedy was a do nothing President

erm...No.

[Mechaman]

Sexgod Inc. ^TM

[Mechaman]

Kennedy was a do nothing President

erm...No.

If Kennedy was a "do nothing President" wouldn't Sanchez actually like him?  Especially considering that expanding government is usually something done by "activist" Presidents?

And yes, I'm including so-called "OMG CONSERVATIVE HERO!!!!" Ronald Reagan when I say "activist" Presidents.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Does it really matter? Kennedy was a do nothing President, morally bankrupt, who is only loved for being killed. Had he lived, and Nixon won the 1962 gubernatorial election, I could see Nixon making a comeback in '64.

Even if I'm one of the least Kennedy-loving liberals on Atlas, I have to say this...

If you're going to reefer to a guy who, among other things, managed to avoid a nuclear holocaust in 1962, enforced desegregation at Alabama and Mississippi Universities, established Peace Corps and Food for Peace programs, gave a new energy to the space race, as "do nothing", than what the f**k is "do something" President?

[futurepres]

Kennedy was in favor of tax cuts and tried to avoid war. Still other factors to consider.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

One of the more Conservative Presidents of the era, but that's not saying much. He cut taxes & actually intended to have a balanced budget. However, I'm not gonna be a hack & label him outright conservative.

[Ebowed]

Cutting taxes isn't inherently conservative.  Neither is a balanced budget.

[All Along The Watchtower]

In theory, an idealistic, "liberal" Democrat for his time.

In practice...he governed from the "center" and didn't really side with either business or labor, yet ultimately, like all Presidents, was an Establishment figure, for all intents and purpose. His vision of government was an idealistic one of technocratic, intellectual leaders. He also lent credence to the "meritocracy", being a Catholic who became President (if one ignores, of course, that he came from an extremely wealthy and well-connected family that happened to be Catholic.)

Being from a wealthy Irish Catholic family from the Northeast, he appealed to both urban laborers and upwardly mobile, non-WASP members of the professional class. This appeal-someone who was elite, yet could be a sort of counter-Establishment figure to the good ole boys WASP club-made him quite significant as a figure for inspiration to others.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I was watching the 1960 Presidential Debates... and being a bit of a Kennedy buff...

I think to call him morally bankrupt has to more to do with his father and his personal behaviour, which has nothing to do with his governing.

Foreign policy: hawkish in rhetoric (you had to be) but balanced the desire for peace with the threat of action if threatened - potentially bogging down in Vietnam (depends on what evidence you read) : moderate

Domestic policy: advocated for equal pay, became a champion for civil rights (albeit reluctantly), abolished the death penalty in DC and immigration liberalisation: Liberal

Economics: Increased Government spending and saw a massive reversal in the economic growth patterns from 1% - 5.5% average GDP growth (continued into Johnson's term), unemployment reduced, but also reduced taxes where appropriate: Liberal/moderate

On issues like Abortion/Gun control - I think he probably favoured some kind of moderate gun control (I did read some comment in which he seemed concerned about the availability of guns) - there is however, no single public comment on abortion... my gut tells me, he was probably pro-life.

Overall... JFK was more a liberal-leaning moderate, than the other way around.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Moderate populist liberal.  More liberal than moderate.